Laura Lederer Comments on Conviction of Sex Trafficker in Arlington, VA

September 12, 2012Comments are closed.

WASHINGTON, DC Yimmy Anthony Pineda Penado, also known as Critico and Spike,” recently pled guilty to sex trafficking a juvenile. Penado admitted to trafficking at least one minor as clique leader of the Mara Salvaturcha Thirteen (MS-13), an international street gang in the Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland area. It is reported that an under age girl was forced to have sex with more than 20 clients in an two week period, during which gang members provided drugs and alcohol in efforts to make her more compliant.

Last year, Global Centurion identified over one hundred cases of street gang involvement in sex trafficking in the United States, says Laura Lederer, President of Global Centurion, an NGO working to stop trafficking by focusing on demand.
In the last two years, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia have put together a vigorous enforcement plan and gone after street gangs who traffic children. This is a model for any district which wants to put street gang traffickers out of business and behind bars. Lederer noted that the first step is to find out which gangs are active in the community and investigate any possible involvement in sex trafficking. Street gangs have a specific method for recruiting young women and children, usually involving romancing girls as young as 13 or 14 years of age. Community involvement is critical in stopping these crimes. Lederer noted that while it is important to investigate, arrest, prosecute, and convict the traffickers, it is just as important to focus on the men who purchase such sex acts from underage girls. By targeting the consumers of this product, will eradicate the market for commercial sex with children.

US States Attorneys Office of Eastern District of Virginia:Press Release

To request an interview with Dr. Lederer, contact Luke Welch at(207) 370-0787orluke.e.welch@globalcenturion.org.

For more information about Global Centurion Foundation, go tohttps://www.globalcenturion.org/. For more information about Dr. Lederer, go tohttps://www.globalcenturion.org/about/board-of-directors/.